What are the side effects of hormone replacement therapy?

A new symptom after starting hormone therapy belongs in one of three places: emergency, prompt call, or next visit. The three are set out below.

Your prescription sets the side effect list

Side effects depend on the exact prescription, so a general list will not fit you. Ask your prescriber for the list that matches your product, and ask which items are expected and which mean phoning the office.

Three places a hormone symptom can go

Sort each symptom into one of three groups from the day you start treatment.

• Emergency: chest pain, trouble breathing, weakness on one side of the body, or sudden changes in vision or speech. Call emergency services. Do not wait for a clinic to call back.
• Call your prescriber promptly: a new symptom that worries you, a symptom that keeps getting worse, or one that gets in the way of sleep, work or daily tasks.
• Mention at the next visit: mild or short-lived changes that you have written down with dates.

If your prescription is testosterone for a man, read the review of the risks of testosterone replacement therapy in men. If it is hormone therapy for menopause, read the NYU Langone article on the facts about menopause and hormone therapy. Each addresses a different group, so match it to your prescription first.

Paperwork to collect at the first prescription

When you are handed the first prescription, ask for the printed side effect information for your exact product. Ask which number to ring out of office hours, and what follow-up testing is planned. If you are switching from another provider, bring that provider's records.

When society and regulator disagree on hormones

If you find a professional society and a regulator advisory that differ on risk or monitoring, take both to your prescriber and ask which source they follow and why.